Splice bar or fishplate



Dec. 23, 1930. s. WILBUR 1,785,850

SPLICE BAR OR FISH PLATE Filed July 22, 1.9.29 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 23, 1930. 1.. s. WILBUR SPLICE BAR OR FISH PLATE Filed July 22, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @wrenoeni @7522? 'a fic Patented Dec. 23, 1930 I NITED PATENT o-Frrcn nawmmcnswrtn'un; onnvnivs'ron, ILLINOIS .SBLICE-BAB org r'rsr-irna'rn Application filed. July 22', 1923. Serial No. 320,239.

- 1' This invention relatesitosplice bars or fish middle than at theg'ends thereof, thereby adapting the baror pl'atefor usejon old rails which have become-worn, and distorted by.

use. Y

It is also anobject. to providecertain; de-

tails and features .ofrconstruction and method steps and combinations tendmg tomcrease the generalefliciency and desirability of splice bars of thispartieular; character. 1

'Ilo the foregoing andother. useful ends, the invention consists in the'matters hereinafter. set orth andclaimed, and-shown intheaccompanying drawings, in whioh, F ig. 1- is a plan view of a.spli, bar ems bodying the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing.- a .diil'en entiorm of thejinvention.

Fig. 3is a similarview, showing a. different formof thejinvention.

n Fig. tie ailongitudinal vertical'section of any one. of, said bars Fig. 5, is ,an enlarged end view ofthe. bar. shown in Fig. 1 V I i Fig, 6 is. an enlarged-end View of the bar: shown .inFig. 2.

Fig.7 isan enlarged. endview. ofthe barshown inFig. 3. v l

Fig. .8 is aplanwiew of. a; splice bar embodying the principles ofthe invention, showing still adifierent, form otthe invention.

" Fig, 9 .is a similar, view, showing a difierent formof the invention. p Fig.- 10 is a similarview, showing a. difierent form of the invention.

.1 s a ng tud na verti a es o the bar is of greater; fishingheightat the.

through any. one of the barsshowni'n Figs.- 8, 9 ian'dalO.

Fig. 12 is anenlarged end view ofjthehen shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings.

. Fig. 13 is anzenlargedend view of: the bar shown inFig. 9 of the drawings.

Fig. 1a. is an enlarged'end View, of-the har. shownin Fig. 10 of the drawings. Asthus illustrated, and referring toFigs. 1: and 5, the splice bar comprises the upright, web portion 1 having the head. portion 2i,and the he'elportionS, the flange4 being-integrah with the. heelportion and extendingdownwardly and outwardly. Lookingdown on: the bar, as shown in Fig. 1; it willgbe seen that it comprises .aninwardly curved middle portion 5, disposedbetweenthe straight end portions 6, which -are disposediat: an angleto each other, and which. straight portions and curved portion form obtuse angles? 1 on the outer side of the bar. In this. case, thestraightportions 6 are the top or head onlyof the bar, the bottom portions .8 of the barlbeing straight and in exact alignment with: each: other.

In Figs; 2 and 6 theconstruction is -similar, but in this case the straight top portions 6- areparallel withthe straighthottom portions 8, whereby the straight end portions; of the bar comprise the entire endrportionsofthe bar-from top to bottomthereof.

' In Figs. 3 and 7 the construction is similar,- but in'this. case the straight top endportions; 6 are in exact alignment with each other,

while the straight;.bottomportions 8 aredispoedat an angle to each other, asshown.

,However, in, each of the three. difierent: formsot the inventionshown, the barcomprises an inwardly curvedmiddle portion disposed; between two straight end; portions, whichlatter may be either the top or; bottom; of -the bar, or. both, and in each case obtuse angles. are formedwhere such straight portions meet the ends ofj the curved portion,

these obtuse angles being on the outer side 95 of thebar. Also, in each case, asshown in Figs. 4-, 5, 6 and 7, thetop of the bar-is humped orcrownedatits middle, asshown; at; 9'in Fig. 4 of the drawings,so that the. top;.o;f

he a lop s g n ly r m themid le there? v tl-ie'inner side of'the bar. I I, 4 and heel 3 of the bar are straight from one end to the other of the bar, as shown. I

I of to the ends of the bar. Also, in each form of the invention thus shown, the bottom of the bar has arecess there1'n,wh1ch recess is higher at the middle of the bar and tapers toward the ends of the bar. 'In each case, therefore, the middle'portion of the bar projects inwardly and'will reach farther up which have become worn and distorted by V 1 use, requiring splice bars of greater fishing height at the middle of the bar thanat the ends thereof.

. In Figs. 8 and 12the splice bar comprises thesa ne web'l and head 2 and heel 3: and

flange 4,-but in-this casethe two straightend portions 11 of the bar, looking down on the bar, are'formed by the head or top. only of thebar, and the inner ends of these straight portions meet to form theobtuse angle 12 on The entire flange 1 In Figs. 9 and 13 the constructionis similar, but in this case the straight end portions r 13 are made up of both the top andbottom of thebar, the entire bar being bent to form the obtuse angle 12at the middle of the bar.

. in Figs. 10 to 145 the entire top of the .bar is straight, so that the two end portions 11 of the top or'head are in exact alignment with each other, but the heel 3 and flange 4 are bent orso formed'th-at they formend portionsl disposed at an angle to each other, forming the obtuse angle 12 again on the inner side of the bar.

. Thus, in each of Figs. 8, 9 and 10, there'are straightend portions disposed at an angle to each other, forming'an obtuse angle on the inner side of the'bar; and these straight end portions may be formed by the top or head:

only of the bar, o'r'by the bottom only of the I bar,- or by both; i

Also,i-n each of the different forms of theinvention shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, as indicated in F igs'. 11, 12, 13 and 14, the top of the bar is humped or crowned at 15, whereby the top ofthe bar slopesgently from the middle thereof'toward the ends of the bar. In

addition, each bar is provided with a cavity or recess 16 on the bottom thereof, similar to the recess 10 previously described, whereby the 'bar is of greater fishing height at the middle than at the ends thereof.

[Of course, in cross section, the bar isof no greaterheight at its middle than at its ends, but'thisis notwhat is meant by the statement that the bars are each of greater fishing height at the middle than at the ends of the bar; for What is really meant is that when the bar is placed in position, andis restlng on the flanges of the rails,the middle of the bar V will be higher than its ends, whereby the top of each baris of greater fishing height at its middle, measured vertically from the top sur- 1 face of the rail flange, than at the ends of the 7 bar. 1 V r i The bars shown anddescribed can be new bars, or they can be oldbars reshaped and reformed in the desired manner;

It is ordinarily less expensive, however, to form'bars of thls kind from old bars, than from new stock; Also,, theibars shown and'desoribed r i can all be used in one and thesame unitary structure, as by using "different bars on theopposite sidesofthe same rail joint,,or-by.

using diiferentforms on; successive joints in the same general trail structure, whereby the difl'erent bars will co-operate with each other to maintain the continuity of the rails.

Someof the bars shown will be better adaptf ed for some rails thanothers, and viceversa,

depending upon the worn or distorted condition of the rails. e r V If the bars or'plates shown and described are made from old bars, they can be increased slightlyin height, throughout the length'o'f the bar,'as by reducing the thickness of the web 1 of the bar, so that by a redistribution Y of the metal the bar will beof greater fishing 5 height throughout its length than the origin'al bar. f The railsare subject to some wear, a of course, not only'at the middle of the rail 7 joint, but also throughout the length of the splice bars, owing tothe pounding of the car wheels and the creepingaction of the rails. Hence, a reformed or remade bar, which is ofslightly greater fishing height than the old bar, is or may be of some advantage applied to old rails. Y

It will be seen that in each case the lower lip or overhang 17 is exactly level on its lower side, as this lip does not rest on the flanges of theold rails, but, to the contrary, overhangs the edges of-thefrail flanges.

As shown in Figs; 1, 2 and 3, the angle bar has a camber on the inner side thereof. l

' What I claim as my invention is: i

, 1. A splice bar or fish plate for connecting rails together, comprising a web having a head and a heel, with a flange integral with said heel, said heel and flangeforming the 1 base of the bar, said bar-being so formed that in longitudinal vertical section through said web and head and heel the head is higher at the middle ofthe bar than atthe ends there of, while the bottom of theheel is also higher at the'middle offlthe barthan at the ends thereof, thereby inelfect providing a crowned or humped top and a recessed bottom, and

whereby the bar is of greater fishing "height at its middle than at the ends thereof, portions of the bar atthe 'ends thereof being spaoed'outward further from the sides than a middle portion of the bar, when the bar is, resting on the flanges of the rails. 2. A structure as specified in claim 1, said bar'having straight end portions disposed at A an angle to each other, when viewed from above.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1, said bar having straight end portions disposed at an angle to each other, when iewed from m above which straight end portions are formed by only the top or head of the bar. 4. structureas specified in claim 1, said 7 bar having straight end portions disposed at an angle to each other, when viewed'from 1 above which straight end portions are formed by only the bottom of the bar.

' r '5. A structure as specified in claim 1, said bar having straight end portions disposed at an angle to each other, when viewed from above which straight end portions are formed j by both the head and bottom of the bar.

6. A structure asspecified in claim 1, said bar. having aninwardly curved middle portion disposed between straight end portions forming obtuse angles on the outer side of i the bar, when viewed from above which angles are at the opposite ends of said inwardlycurved middle portion. I

7. A-structure as specified in claim 1, said bar havingstraight end portions disposed at an angle to each other, when viewed from I above said straightend portions forming an obtuse angle wherethey meet on the inner side ofthe bar.

5135' 8. A structure as specified in claim 1, said outwardly spaced .bar end portions comprisring only the head of the bar.

. 9. A structureasspecified in claim 1, said outwardly spaced bar end portions compris- 40 ing both the head and heel of the bar.

10. A structure as specified in claim 1, said I outwardly spaced bar end portions compris- ,ing' only the base of the bar.

11. A structure as specifiedin claim 1, said bar having a camber on the inner side thereof.

'12. A structure as specified in claim 1, said I bar being of uniform distance from the top to the bottom throughout the length thereof.

Specification signed-this 29th day of June,

LAWRENCE S. WILBUR. 

